Access door



Nov. 3, 1970 GILLES 3,537,212

ACCESS DOOR Filed Dec. 26, 1968 INVENTOR Hons GILLES A TTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 49-381 a Y 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A concealing access door for wall service outlets, having a frame for insertion into the wall opening and a detachable cover plate. hinged to it. The frame has sides forming an open ended enclosure and provided with outwardly extending flanges forming a seat for the cover plate. One side of the frame is provided with a doortongue receiving slot and another with a door-catch receiving opening. The cover plate has at one margin a curved tongue which engages in the slot to hinge the cover plate to the frame. The tongue has a projection normally slidably engaging in the slot to retain the tongue from retraction and a projection which registers with a narrow extension of the slot making way for the tongue to be inserted. A facing member is preferably applied to the flanges to border the facing plate when in closed position so as to provide a finished appearance.

This invention relates to an access door.

A main object of the invention is to provide an access door which is easily manufactured and which can operate with a minimum of working parts.

An access door according to the invention includes a rectangular mounting adapted to be inserted into an open-- ing in a wall, a rectangular frame on the mounting surrounding the opening in the wall and a cover plate hingedly related to the mounting. The cover plate is disconnectably connected to the mounting by a curved bracket extending from it and having a part operating within a slot in the mounting and provided with a projection serving as a catch to prevent removal of the bracket from the slot in one position and to allow removal in another position. The cover plate may be swung about the bracket (in connected relationship with the mounting) from a closed position in which it closes the opening in the frame to an open position perpendicular to the frame. The cover plate is provided with a catch on a margin opposite the bracket, the catch being engaged in the mounting to secure the plate in closed position or free it for opening.

Preferably, the mounting is prefabricated in the form of an elongated L-shaped strip divided by parallel lines of holes into rectangular panels and each panel being provided with a flange extending perpendicular therefrom. The strip can be bent into rectangular form by hand since the strip will bend readily at the weakening lines of holes. The walls of the mounting with the flange form inwardly freeing lips on the walls adapted to receive the frame.

Having thus generally described the invention, it will be gone into in more detail by reference to the accomrpanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prefabricated channel member of a preferred form adapted for constructing the door mounting.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mounting erected from the prefabricated channel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a complete door according to the invention in place about a valve to which access through the door is possible.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross section along the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross section along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view similarto FIG. 5 but with the door in position for removal.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view showingthe door plate in removal position.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross section along the line 8-8 of FIG. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the preferred form of door shown is made up (referring to FIG. 3) of a mounting A and a cove plate B articulated to the mounting by hinge member C. The mounting A is adapted to be inset into the wall and at this end it is provided with a top panel 15, side panels 17 and 19 connected to the panel 15, a bottom panel 21 connected to the side panels 17 and 19, and a frame perpendicular to the panels.

In accordance with the invention, the bottom panel is provided with a slot 25 having at one end a narrowed terminal portion 27 offset from the front by a part 28 of the panel 21. The plate B may be a sheet metal plate and the hinge C a metal bracket welded to it adjacent the lower margin.

The bracket C has a flat portion 31 which is juxtaposed to the lower marginal part of the plate B, and a curved part 33 extending inwards and downwards from the part 31. The part 33 is adapted to fit within the slot 25 and has a small terminal lateral projection 29' adapted to register with the narrowed portion 27 of the slot 25-.

At the other margin of the plate B is a rotatable catch member 37 adapted to engage in a slot 39 in the panel 15.

In operation, the hinge member C is inserted in the slot 25 by causing the projection 29' to enter the extension 27. Once the hinge member C is within the slot 25 and gravity pulls the plate and member C forward, the projection 29 engages the part 28 in front of the slot extension 27 so that the member C is locked in place and will not come out of the slot. The plate B may be moved from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the closed position flush with the flange member 24. The member B can be moved back and forth from open to closed position at will and the hinge member C will keep it hinged to the frame A. However, it can easily be moved by manipulating it so that the projection 29 registers with the slot extension 27.

Preferably, the frame is made from a prefabricated generally L-shaped strip S as shown in FIG. 1. This strip S as shown in FIG. 1, is divided into respective sections 21, 19, 15 and 17 by lines of holes 51 and V-shaped cutouts. There is also a terminal tab 53 st one end, separated from the strip 21 proper by terminal holes "51.

The strip can be bent manually into the form shown in FIG. 2. The strip is provided with flanges 21a, 19a, 15a and 17a which form flanges on the front of the rectangular frame formed by bending the strip into the position of FIG. 2. The flanges 21a, 19a, 15a and 17a are connected to their respective panels 21, 19, 15 and 17 by rounded edges 21b, 19b, 15b and 17b, respectively. The tab 53 can be bent about the end of the panel 17 into the position of FIG. 2 by forcing it against the edge of a table. It is then welded at 55 or otherwise held in place to complete the mounting. Lines of holes 60 and 61 are provided in the panels to facilitate nailing or screwing the frame A to the wall. A cover frame D is then placed over the outstanding flanges and welded in place to form the frame construction shown in FIG. 3.

The opening provided inside the frame D is just large enough to receive the plate B which rests on the edges 21b, 19b, 15b and 17b which jut slightly in beyond the cover frame D.

The access door is mountable in an opening in the wall giving access to a service outletas, for example, an electrical terminal, a water or gas outlet, etc. The whole assembly including the cover plate and border frame presents a neat appearance when closed. Theframe proper" may conveniently be made if Sheet material in the form of a blank, the sheet material being sufiiciently rigid to provide a rigid frame but bendable by hand at the weakencd strips. The flanges on the panels of the blank serve the dualpurp osewoffstifiening the panels and of ultimately providing a seating for the cover plate. I* claim:

1. An access door assembly comprising, in combination: 1

a rectangular mounting frame comprising four, transversely hinged elements connecting to form a onepiece unit; flange meansron said mounting frame and projecting outwardly therefrom: a rectangular cover plate secured to said overlying said flange means and having a rectangular opening generally corresponding to the rectangular opening de- J I fined by said four frame elements, saidframe elements including porting for re- :ceiving fasteners therethrough" and mounting saidframe-in an access opening in a wall or thelike, one frame element including a longitudinal hinge slot extending transversely therethrough and immediately" adjacent and behind said cover panel;

a rectangular door panel engageable -on the outer sur- 1 a face of said cover panel and including a hinge bracket projecting from and extending along one edge thereof,

said hinge bracket including an arcuate cross section extending substantially through an arc of 180 with respect to the plane of said door planel, and removably received in said hinge 8 0t,

another of said frame elements of said mounting 'frameincludiiig'a lock-slot inwardly of and adjacent said cover panel, said door panel including displaceable latch means including a portion removably received in said lock slot, z said pivot slot including an inward, narrowed, lateral terminal extension,- r I i said longitudinal hinge slot having a primary portion substantially equal to the width of said hingebra'cket and terminating at one end in an inwardly offset, communicating narrowed slot,

said hinge bracket having a primary portion pivotally received in said. pivot slot and including a terminal extension removably receivable through said communicating narrowed slot wherebythe hinge bracket and door must be tilted angularlyrelative to said pivot slot to separate the door panel from the mouting frame. I j. j I

2. The structure as claimed in claim ,1 in which said door panel is constructed and arranged to overlie said cover panel, said door panel including an abutment edge projecting below said arcuate portion and abuttingly en,

' gageable on the outer surface of said cover panel below said hinge slot for orienting said door panel substantially normal to the plane of said cover plane when the door panel is open. I I

References Cited v UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1929 Ferris 49-397 XR 1,716,038 2,171,038 8/1939 Martindale t 16172 3,348,353 10/1967 Cartagena 52--658 KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner U.S. c1. X11. 

